Greg Melhuish (DJ Magu), Possum Creek
I have never written a letter to the editor before and have never been keen to do so, but in the name of setting some facts straight I really feel I have to respond to Jane Hall’s letter, Losing our koalas, Echo December 4.
1. I own a 2-hectare parcel of land at Possum Creek and have done so for the past 30 years
2. I am a nature and wildlife lover who has reforested the said block with many thousands of trees including koala feed species and it is a wildlife sanctuary. Abundant wildlife and numerous koalas and their offspring often frequent the property.
3. I regularly play loud to extremely loud amplified music and have done so for the past 25 years.
4. Koalas have been observed quite close by during these periods. They did not leave their tree and stayed around for days after. Sometimes we don’t see them or hear of them for many weeks as they are certainly very mobile.
5. Regular loud music has had no visible impact on the wildlife and koalas that surround me and it is totally obvious that their populations have only increased over time.
8. It is also a fact to say while I have never seen wildlife place themselves directly in front of the sound source I have observed them watching curiously, listening and grazing while still well within earshot. Birds in particular are amazingly highly attracted to the music.
Jane’s concern for koalas is to be admired but the biggest threat to koalas is retrovirus, chlamydia, loss of habitat, feral and domestic animals and speeding cars. Byron Shire council is to commended on its program to eradicate wild dogs. Loss of habitat is particularly stressful to koalas and is a main contributor to chlamydia. These factors are the obstacles to the koalas’ future survival, not loud amplified music.
